Column by Bill Bradberry — On this, the final day of Black History Month in this leap year 2012 I ask that we, all of us, pause briefly to take stock of who and where we are, where we and our ancestors have been, where we are headed and how will we choose to get there?

I am reminded of my father’s parody of the farm workers who, once they harvested the crop, argued about how to get their bounty to the market, they could not agree on whether they should push or pull the wagon, and in their heat of their discord, they tugged in opposite directions, pulling the wagon apart, wasting the crop as well as their labor.

“It would have been better,” he’d smile and chide, “if they had at least moved together in the same direction, some pushing, some pulling.”

In his stated “Vision for the National Museum of African American History and Culture”, Director Lonnie Bunch perfectly reflects my view of the role that our very own Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area Management Plan as well as our National Heritage Area plans will accomplish in spite of some of the tugging once the planning is completed and the development of our vast historically rich multicultural assets begins in earnest.

As the month rolls to an end, I am hopeful that our interests in and commitment to discovering, preserving and proudly presenting all of our American history will prevail beyond this brief annual homage to the past, most importantly because, as Dr. Bunch alludes, “In many ways, there are few things as powerful and as important as a people, as a nation that is steeped in its history. Often America is celebrated as a place that forgets.”

Thankfully, here in Niagara and around the world there are good people who simply refuse to forget our history and who are willing to work tirelessly to make sure that the rest of us don’t forget either.

Paul Gromosiak will never allow us to forget the importance of the “Old Stone Chimney” for example, reminding us of Peter Porter’s words written in 1915: “If there is any structure within our goodly city, which deserved to be marked for perpetuity, surely it was this old, so-called, Fort Schlosser Chimney although it ante-dates that fort by full 10 years. It is not only the most ancient masonry within our city limits, but, with the exception of the castle at Fort Niagara, which was completed in 1727, it is the oldest masonry on the frontier, and further yet, with the same exception, it is the oldest masonry in the state of New York, west of Albany.”

Neither will Pete Ames and Michelle Kratts allow us to forget the voices that tell the awe inspiring stories of the amazing lives of those heroic men and women, black and white, now buried at Oakwood, who, as a direct result of their efforts, led to the development and prosperity of this great nation.

“Yes,” Michelle will tell you, “the roads from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello do lead directly to Niagara Falls!”

And if you listen to and believe what renowned historian Dr. Judith Wellman has uncovered, as do I, the black waiters who worked at the world-famous Cataract House which once stood at the edge of the raging Niagara River did much more than serve good food and Northern hospitality to the hotel’s Southern guests, they found ways to serve justice to them by leading some of their African “servants” out of slavery and into Canada and eventual freedom.

And thanks to the hard work of good people like Denise Easterling and Kevin Cottrell, their stories and many others will finally be told.

Nor will Peter Fontanarosa, in whose stewardship rests the last standing remnant of Tesla’s genius, the Adams Power Plant, let die the magnificence and historic significance of that hallowed place and all that happened to improve the well-being of not just Niagara Falls, but the entire world.

In celebration of the groundbreaking last week on the National Mall at the Smithsonian, Bunch noted, “This museum seeks to help all Americans remember, and by remembering, this institution will stimulate a dialogue about race and help to foster a spirit of reconciliation and healing“.

Much the way we will do it here, Bunch elaborates on how the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will accomplish its mission, “We will utilize wonderfully interactive exhibitions that are ripe with the best new technologies — but we will never lose the voices and the memories of the people who lived the history.”

He continues, “This is not a museum that celebrates black history solely for black Americans. Rather we see this history as America's history. NMAAHC will use African American history and culture as a lens into what it means to be an American.”

“Additionally,” says Bunch, “NMAAHC will use African American culture as a means to help all Americans see how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by international considerations. While the primary focus of the museum is on the African American experience, it is impossible to tell that story without understanding our role in a global society.”

I could not agree more.

Bunch understands that the Museum must collaborate well beyond Washington and engage other educational institutions around the world in order to help create an international environment where discovery and learning can be fun and exciting.

And what better link could the museum make than with Niagara Falls?

The answer to that question is easy to arrive at when we look at the numbers of people who visit the Smithsonian and Niagara Falls from all over the world. Clearly, we have the numbers, but the real question might be, how do we in Niagara attract our visitors beyond the water?

I have no doubt that we could mutually capitalize long-term on the benefits that a relationship with the NMAAHC could generate. I know that visitors will want to stay here longer if they can find more interesting things to see and do once the initial thrill of a high wire act and the roar of the mist is gone. I know that we can create amazing visitor experiences that compliment, inform, entertain and enrich our guests.

But can we balance our high wire acts and Hollywood connections with Marylyn Monroe, Superman, and the Three Stooges and at the same time discover, preserve and artfully present our beautiful natural environment without “wasting the crop and our labor?”

As Lonnie Bunch says, and as I agree about Niagara, “Ultimately, the National Museum of African American History and Culture should be a place of meaning, of memory, of reflection, of laughter, and of hope. It should be a beacon that reminds us of what we were; what challenges we still face; and point us towards what we can become.”

We can do this if we move together in the same direction, some pushing, some pulling.

Contact Bill at bill.bradberry@yahoo.com.